‘TERROR STILL GRAVEST THREAT TO HUMANITY’

NEW DELHI: Terrorism remains one of the “gravest threats to humankind” and constitutes a severe challenge to the global human rights agenda, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday in the first address to the UN Human Rights Council by an Indian foreign minister.

In his virtual address to the high-level segment of the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Jaishankar called for a coordinated global response to the challenges confronting the human rights agenda, including terrorism, global inequities and armed conflicts.

The Covid-19 pandemic has complicated the situation in many regions and there is a need for countries to come together to overcome these challenges, he said. “Terrorism continues to be one of the gravest threats to humankind. It is a crime against humanity and violates the most fundamental human right – namely the right to life. As a longstanding victim, India has been in the forefront of the global action against terrorism,” Jaishankar said.

“This is possible only when there is a clear realisation, including in bodies dealing with human rights, that terrorism can never be justified, nor its perpetrators ever equated with its victims,” he said.

India, Jaishankar noted, had presented to the UN Security Council last month an eightpoint action plan to deal with terrorism, and the country will continue to work with members of the Security Council and other states to ensure the implementation of this plan.

India’s commitment to protecting basic human rights is also reflected in its strategy to deal with Covid-19 pandemic, he said.